whatcha got there, little girl??

Perusing my former blog (which is still up and running, I just became a slacker at updating it... I'll see what I can do about that), I found this post on my favorite things. I wrote it this time last year & it's so neat to go back and see what has changed and what has, essentially, stayed the same. When the original post was written, my baby boy was 4 months old, and Harley and Carter (then 8 and 5, respectively) had just left for their daddy's. They've since been back & left again. And, no, it does not ever get easier watching them go. Quite the opposite, really. It's much more difficult because you KNOW what to expect. You are fully aware with every fiber of your being just how bad it's going to hurt every single day that they're gone. I digress. This is to be a light-hearted post, full of the things that make me happy, so let's begin.

Like I said, some of the things I listed last year have actually stayed the same, but so as not to have a repeat post, I'm going to just list those things now...lots of last names (however, I'm now leaning more toward Kayla Shealey Eldridge Brooks Balboa Cougar Mellancamp), Rocky Balboa, Folger's Coffee, Sugar in the Raw, my yellow Nikes (even purchased a pair of yellow Adidas hoping they could be a worthy substitute from time to time... I've worn them twice. the Nikes win. I even wore them at a friend's wedding reception with my purple bridesmaids dress.), soul miner's daughter, deep bath tubs, chickfila, lysol, facebook, the dvr, and chelsea lately. Whew. Not that I don't still like the other things listed, but they just probably aren't an integral part of my life anymore. So, I move on. 2012... My favorite things...

1. My Chelsea Lately coffee cup. Seriously. J bought this for me for my birthday & I drink my coffee out of this thing almost every single day. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received and it just reminds me that I have someone who loves me to bits and who really knows me... coffee & Chelsea will ALWAYS be two of my favorite things... it's the perfect way to get my day started.

2. Pinterest. Oh, how I love Pinterest. If I'm bored with my stand-by recipes and want a quick something to throw in the crockpot- forget Google! I'm going to Pinterest. If I need a creative gift for a friend, but am completely lost as to where to start- forget calling a friend asking "what should I make??"! I'm going to Pinterest. If I want to know what complete outfits I should wear to Disney world (as if any of those are practical choices) I still go to Pinterest. I can make homemade cleaning supplies that I don't have to be concerned will make my family sick because I KNOW what's in them. And, also thanks to Pinterest, I now have #3 on my list of favorite things....

3. Home made French Vanilla Coffee Creamer. I'm not big on fancy creamers. I don't need some Italian French Vanilla Bean Creme da la Creme whatever. I just want plain 'ole creamer. But, one fateful day several weeks ago, I happened to have used the last of the coffeemate and was just about flat broke. Which meant no more creamer for several days. Sure, I could have used milk. And I would have. But, with a Pin for Home made French Vanilla Creamer staring me in the face (and all of the ingredients in my kitchen), I couldn't resist. It's lightly sweet, which is amazing, so now I have to use even LESS of my Sugar in the Raw, which means it lasts twice as long!! (which is great, because it's one of my few splurges and is kind of pricey) Wanna try it yourself? Go for it! It's really easy & you can find the recipe here.

4. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Yes, it is one of my favorite things. Why? Because it keeps my baby happy. Yes, I am that mom who will put my child in front of the t.v. so I can get things done around the house. Would I rather him just play in his room with his toys? Sure. But, that's not always gonna happen. And when it doesn't, I have no problems turning on "Key-Key" (what he calls Mickey) for a while. Meeeeska Moooooska Mickeeeeyyyyyy MOUSE!!!!

5. Skype. Because right now it's the only way I get to see my oldest babies face-to-face. Would I rather not have to use it? Abso-friggin-lutely. But, I am so thankful that we do have it because not seeing them would make this far more difficult. Thanks to Skype, I don't have to worry that Braydon won't recognize them when they get home. They still get to watch him grow and change, as well. And neither of my children are great on the telephone... they both get side-tracked. So, it makes it much easier when they can actually SEE who they're talking to. (And it's super funny watching Harley make faces at herself. I swear, half the time is spent with her stretching her face and staring at herself. Her Aunt Erin comin' out in her...) ;)

6. Photo editing software. Oooohhhh... I love!!! I'm learning so much about different functions and actions and it's all so cool to me!! It amazes me that I can take a good photo and turn it into something GREAT with just a little time in front of the computer!!

7. Wen by Chaz Dean conditioning shampoo. You've seen it on t.v., right? This stuff is life changing!! Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it IS hair changing. I have naturally curly, very dry, over processed hair. I straighten my hair almost every time I wash it (which, to be honest, is as rarely as possible), I have an amazing hairdresser who does a great job with my highlights that I have to get fairly often (considering how light I *like* my hair to be and how dark it is naturally) but, as we all know.... chemicals have a tendency to leave our hair really dull and brittle... that's where Wen comes in. It really does work the way they show in the commercials. If I decide to leave my hair curly, my curls are so much curlier and hydrated!! If I straighten it, my hair is softer, shinier and easier to manage... all without an additional conditioner. I LOVE it!!! Of course, like I said though, I try not to wash my hair until I absolutely have to... which usually means that I'm going out in public or something. I BATHE, I just hate drying my hair!!!

8. Carmex. Best. Non-Chapstik. EVER. It soothes, it cools, it works. That's all.

9. Gillette Fusion ProGlide Razors. I know, they're men's razors. But, I don't care. They work better than any women's razor on the market. And, judging by the number of men I've heard complain about their wives stealing their razors, I'd have to say I'm not the only woman who feels this way. I just wish I could make them prettier... I don't want a blue & grey razor... I want mine glittery... ((I'll bet Pinterest has a great idea for that!!))

10. Purex Laundry Detergent. I haven't yet made the Homemade Laundry Detergent I've had pinned for some time now. I'll get around to it. But, for now, I LOVE Purex. I love the way it smells, I love that I can find it on sale for 3.99 & I usually have a dollar off coupon, making it 2.99... it works amazingly- even in cold water, which is what I usually use. The scent lasts FOREVER. And, my husband claims that he has sensitive skin and can't use Gain (although he has never noticed when I've switched it up), so I tried Purex just because it was cheap & haven't looked back since.

11. Cascade dish washer packet thingies. Nothing else will do. I have tried a hundred and three different things in my dishwasher and nothing works nearly as well at getting my dishes clean and sparkly. Hmm... maybe I should check Pinterest, though, before I go out and buy some more. ((SEE?? Pinterest is good for EVERYTHING!!))

Okay, I'm gonna leave off with eleven... a good, odd number. What are some of your favorite things?? I really wanna know!! :)